Apparatus for the decomposition and recombination of hydrocarbons



May 11 1925. 1,584,048

A. T. STUART ET AL APPARATUS FOR THE DECONPOSITIdN AND RECOMBINATION OF HYDROCARBONS Original Filed July 5 1917 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M 4 f K v HHHHHHHHH IHHIMHHHHHHHMHHHHW g g. L0

. HT MHHH l l i I IHH H-HH I IHHHHHHHHH HHH fl A a Y a HHHHHHHHHHH l HMHHH lllll IIHI may 11 1mm.

A. T. STUART ET AL APPAEATUS FOR THE DECOMPOSITION AND RECOMBINATION OF. HYDROCARBON S 2 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed J y 5, 1917 Inventor J. W

Altarney.

,reduced to a cohey or carluinaccous on s produced.

In a preferred method o't carrying out then'LnXnnnnn (morass 's'rn nn r'nnn cor "23. at U a NOVERRE MIDDLETQN, IF TQBOI'I'IPO,

"jitRIG, CANADA, ASSIGNOYBIS, llil'l' ME$NE ASSIGNMEHTZETK} HARLEY G. GLA 3181.

APPARATUS THE DEGQWEEOSITKON AND RECOMBINATIQEQ Q33 JrZYDlttIiGi-U'rtfifihi'fi Application filed Enly 5, 1817,32113111 No. 178,?03. Renewed August to, 1.9233,

This invention relates to an apparatusz (a) By which desired chemical reactions may be carried out under most favourable conditions during the treatment of the orig inal hydrocarbon matter to 'form hydrocar-.

hon fractions and new hydriuwarbon (30111 pounds; and

(b) By which may be prevented the e.\% cessivc decomposition oi the hydrocznbons resulting from the, tendency of the decomposition to enrich certain of the hydrocarbon compounds with hydrogen liberated during; the decomposition of the hydrocarhoi' matter under treatment, caused by such liberated hydrogen reacting to an excessive extent with certain of the hydrocarbons and correspondingly depriving: others oif more-on less of their hydrogen content, and insult-- ing; in some of the hydrocarbon matter being ocpositcd in the reaction. zone, and depriving otlicis o't their hydrogen content to a less degree, butslill to an extent that the result in compounds are of poor value, and so on riching others that they largclybccoinc lined gases caused by the condition of equilibrium established in the reaction zone, limiting the action of the liberated hydrogen with the decomposed hydrocarbi'ins.

The invention relates to apparal us for adding a non-oziidizing reagent prcil'erably hydrou'cn under pressure, to the liydrocarlum' matter being; treated, and controllably adustine the amount 01' such reagent to the ieqinrcinents of the reaction,v so that the p p 7 v cquilioi'unn estahhsncd by the hydrogen liocratcd during the deg-omposition ol the hydroczu'bon matter will be disturbed in a dcgrcc favorable to the recovery of valuable products, thereby prercntiugr undue libeqa; t-ion ol the hvdro cn and carbon from. and

If) H i lhc cr-mcssn'o decomposition oi, the hydrocarbon matter under treatment, and 'lornzinsg" smaller quantities oi lined gases. the added hydrogen. regulating the char". ctcr and amounts of the altered hydrocarbons thereby process the hydrogen and the hydrocarbon matter to be treated are injected into a closed tube constituting the reaction chainbi-zr, which is heated, ii 2lei'zil)ly' electrically, to

any desired temperature and is capable of withstandmg considerable pressure While hot.

The injection takes place under pressure, not exceeding one hundred and twenty pounds, to maintain the desired ctnicentra tion ratio between the hydrocarbon vapor and the hydrogen, and. the heat input :4 such that the lrydrocerbon matter entering the reaction chamber is heated, and then vaporized in traversing the heated none, the vapor thus formed absorbing heat from the walls of the reaction chainher, until decontpositicn occurs.

The amount of l'iydrogen tor the reaction is so gnioportioned that it is from two to four per cent by weight of the hydrocarbon matter treated, and during the reaction conibincs with the'deconiposcd hydrocarbn constituents to prod uco the desired pi oduct.

.ln carrying out this process, live principal factors or variables govern the ellect:-tinie, tei'npcrature, pressure, catalyzcrs, and concentrations. All of these factors exercise more or less influence upon the course of the reaction, but the degree of concentration of the various compounds in the reaction exercises the greatest influence, and it is by a more exact control of this variablothc concentration, that the reaction may be alcondensed therein and returned to the reac- 'tion zone for their further treatmen For instance, for the noduct-ion ol' lubricating oil, parallin, kerosene, gasoline, benzene, toluene, and lined gases oi high illuinitiating value, or any one or more of them, or any one or more of the other hydrocarbon nroducts, a suitable hydrocarbon may be passed through a reaction zone at a pressure of about 120 lbs. per square inclnat atonipcraturc up to (500 degrees cenlrigrzulc, at an appropriate velocity, together with about four per cent of a non onidizing reagent. preferably hydrogen. added at the 5511118 temp'ature and prcssin'o, the products, after passing from the reactii'ni zone, and While By the employment of a non-oxidizing reagent, such as hydrogen, the formation of so-called iron oxide enamel in the reaction zone is prevented, and the decomposition and recombination of the hydrocarbons under treatment may be carried 1 with greater efficiency than when the formation of iron oxide enamel occurs, and bypreventing deposition of carbonaceous matter and excessive decomposition of the hydrocarbons under treatment, larger yields of cracked oils and ases are obtained, the cracking of the iydrocarbons being carried on with less tendency to form unsaturated compounds, a greater percentage of the original matter being broken up into desirable products, the amount of poor value products such as carbons and heavy hydrocarbons being very much less than by processes not using added hydrogen, and the general mechanical diiiiculties heretofore involved in the removal of solid depositions in the reaction zone being obviated.

A catalyst, or other substance foreign to the ultimate recombination, may be used in the reaction zone, for benefiting and accelerating the process, aluminum chloride, activated nickel, carbon, vanadium, heated metallic surfaces, various refractories, and the like, being suitable for that purpose.

The apparatus by which the process is carried out, is designed so as to be capable of heat conservation, close temperature regulation, high thermal input per unit surface area, mechanical resistance to high pressures, the selective recovery of the desired produ ts and the automatic retreatment of the undesired products; and this apparatus consists essentially of a closed reaction chamber, whose wall or walls is or are electrically resistant, and into which matter. to be acted on, is admitted, combined with a suitablytrapped condenser, or a battery of suitablytrapped condensers, connected. in series through which the hydrocarbon fractions may pass from the reaction zone.

In the preferred type of apparatus, the reaction chamber is preferably surrounded by a protecting jacket, with ap 'n'opriate insulation'interposed between the jacket and the reaction chamber to prevent heat being radiated from the reaction chamber to the jacket.

The reaction chamber may take a tubular form, and may be constructed of standard or special tubing adaptable to ordinary electrical circuits or transformers, the shape and dimensions of the reaction chamber being determined by the normal daily capacity of the apparatus.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1, represents a longitudinal sectional elevation of ii preferred form of apparatus;

Fig. 2. is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. l;

Fig. 3, is a detail view of the reaction chamber; and,

Fig. 4, is a similar View of a modification of the reaction chamber.

The reaction chamber a. which may preferably take a tubular form, and be of any suitable dimensions and cross-sectional shape, is surrounded by a corresponding jacket I), capable in itself of withstanding high pressures. This jacket is provided with an inlet 6, through which a pressure-balancing medium may be admitted, to occupy the space between the jacket and thereactionchamber. Contained between the jacket and the reaction chamber, is a heat insulator c, to prevent the radiation of heat from the reaction chamber to the jacket. The presence of this insulator is advisable, as the jacket should be kept at as low a temperature as possible, to enable it to retain its full tensile strength.

Connected with the reactio chamber at its opposite extremities, are intake and offtake pipes f and g, respectively, and connected with the intake and ofitake pipes are the electrical conductors f and g of the heating circuit, the flow of which is so regulated as to heat the reaction chamber to the desired temperature, this heat being conserved within the reaction chamber by the presence of the heat insulator 0. The reaction chamber is provided with a contact making and breaking pyrometer h which opens and closes an electric circuit la, 3', is, j, controlling a contact or circuit breaking device y' by which the heating circuit formed by the conductors I, may be made and broken.

The difference in the ratio of expansion between the reaction chamber and the jacket may be utilized to operate a mechanical con tact z", 2' for making and breaking an electric circuit 9', j, controlling thepcontact or circuit breaking device j by which the same heating circuit may be made and broken, such an expansion arrangement constituting and g in itself a thermostatic control.

Coasting with the reaction chamber is a condenser or set of condensers connected in series.

In Fig. l of the drawings, each reaction chamber is shown to be connected through a set of four condensers, numbered 3 to 6 inelusive, and in Fig. 2, is shown a battery of six reaction apparatus, the condensers of each set being connected in series, with their respective reaction chamber.

In Fig. 1, each condenser 3, 4;, 5 and 6 is shown to be provided with a trap 3, 4, 5*, and 6 respectively, each of the condensers being preferably of a tubular. formation of any suitable cross-sectional shape and dimensions.

At the bottom of the condenser 3 is a drainage pipe 3 extending downto approximetely the bottom of the trep 3, and the top of this condenser is connected by ncoupling pipe 3, with the top of the condenser at. The lower end of the condenser 4 extends down into the trap t, the top of which is connected by u pipe at with the condenser 5 above its tr p 5", the top of the condenser 5 being, connected by a coupling pipe 5, with the top otthe condenser (i, the toner end of which leads down into the trap 6. The ofttnke pipe 9 is connected with the condenser 33 shove the ievel of the trap 3', and the intake pipe extends into the trup 3 near the top thereoh Leading into the trap 3, near the bottom thereof, is the feed pipe h, by which the matter to be treated in the reaction chnniber is delivered into the trap to pass through the intake pipe 7 to the reaction zone, the trap 3 being provided with 2. gauge giass j, and connected with the feed pipe h are the hydrocarbon and hydrogen pipes 71-,79, respectively, each provided with an appropriate controller h by which the amount oi the hydrogenn'iay be controilebly adjusted to the requirements of the reaction.

When tiuid matter, such as hydrocarbons, is to-he treated in the reaction chamber, it is delivered t rough the feed pipe it into the trap 3, filling the trap until it attains the levei of the top of the intake pipe f, through which itthen hours into the reaction chamber a. I

The reaction chamber shown in Fig. 3, is of a U-bend type, and its well or Wells is or are electrically resistant, but the reaction chamber may be of eny other type, such as that. shown in Fig. 1-.

The conductors f, g of the heating circuit are connected with the intake pipe 7 end ofiteke pipe 9, respectively, and the current circuiting from the conductor 7" to the conductor 57, by means of the reaction' chamber, heats its Willi to any desired tem pereture.

The metterto be treated, when it enters the reaction zone, undergoes decomposition, and passes through the oti'tske pipe 9 in the form of gases to the condenser 3.

The heavierhydrocarbon products, whose boiiing' point rgtnges are necessarily higher than those of the lighter hydrocurliion products, condense at higher ten'iperatures than such lighter hydrocarbons, and, should it be necessary to retreat any of the heavier hydrocarbon products, the condensing temperature of the condenser 3 nuiy be set to take oti such heavier products in til: f0l']l1 of con densutes, and run them back through the "trap 3, in Whichthey will i'i'iingle with the matter to be treated us they pass into the reaction zone. v

The hydrocerlmn fraction with the next higher boiling point may be taken cit as oiuiensate through the trap i, and so on c tirough the traps 5 and 6".

To controi the character of the hydrocerbons taken on? through these diiierent traps, each condenser 3, 4:, 5 and 6 is provided. with a. jacket 3 t 5'? and 6 respectively, to conthin-the co-ndensingngent, the temperature of which is dilierent 'for each condenser, so that the different condensates nuiy be simultaneousiy taken oft from the condensers, and in this way, the necessity for i'ructionui distillation may be tlVOiClQt.

As shown in Fig. 1, the jacket Z) is pro vided with u mechanical conttict 1", and the reaction chamber is provided with it me chanical contact 2'. Connected with the contacts i and 71 are electric-:11 conductors j, j, controlling a circuit breaker j for the main heating circuit 7, (1, so that in the event of the temperature in the reaction chamber rising above the degree for which the mechanical cont-riots i, i are set, these contacts will come together and close the cir cuit through the" circuit breaker j to open the main heating circuit 7, g. The contact melting and breaking p yronicter h,-connected with the conductors j, j, by means of n. controlled circuit 7c, is, will also actuate the circuit breaker to open the main heating circuit.

in the decomposition of hydrtuterbons, it is necessary to maintain high pressures in the reaction Z0118, such pressures approximating eight to ten atmospheres, and sometimes higher, and in such cases, it is necessary to counterbalance the pressure within the reaction zone by a correspoiuling pressure on the outside of it, as otherwise, the reaction chamber would be iiuble to rupture, as a, resuit ofsuch internal pressure, owing to its reduced tensile strength, resulting from its high tei'nperutnre.

The counterhulancing pressure within the jacket may be obtained either by pussing some of the matter to be treated into the chamber tiorinedbythe jacket and the rear,

I obtained from hydrocarbon iii-utter such as so culled crude oil, or gas oii according to the following treutIru-nt:

For example ins oil and hydrogen are fed into the reaction chamber through. the feed pipe, at :1 pressure up to one hundred and twenty pounds per square inch, and at a rate of flow of nbout two gallons of gas oil and one half pound oi hydrogen, per hour,

l l t) The reaction chamber in this case is a Atter passing through the reaction tube, tube 10 in length. with an internal diameter the vapor and gas enter the bottom of the of about 1 heated by the passage of a first condenser, 23, where the fraction with heavy electric current through its wall cirthe highest boiling point condenses and euiting' by means of the conductors. passes into the trap 3. The residual uncon- The catalytic ell'ect of the reaction is dedensed vapor and gas pass to the condensers rived from the action of the whitc hot clean a, 5 and (S, successively, at the same pressure iron surface on the hydro *arbon vapor. as that at which they are at in the reaction The time required for one gallon of 'oil zone, where successive fractions having conand the hydrogen necessary tor'the reaction secutively lower boiling points are conto pass completely through a reaction zone densed and collected in their respective traps of this size is approximatcly oue-halt hour. 4, 51 and (3.

The oil boils and vaporizcs in the reaction in the present example the condenser 3 zone in about the lirst quarter oi its length. should be kept at. a temperature of about The vapor is superheated. by absorption of dill) degrees centigrade, the condenser 4 at the hcat from the walls of the reaction zone, about 3.31) degrees centigrzule. the condenser during its passage through the remaining 5 at about LOU degrees eeutigradc, and the thrce-quartcrs of its length. until dccoincondenser (S at about degrees fl'entiposition of the hydrocarbon matter treated grade.

occurs. The constituents o l this matter then The electrical.energy required as heat in combine with the added lrvdrogcn. The time the react ion Zone is from 2.7 to 3.2 K. V. H. ol treatment, the t-cmpcratnic and prcssurc per gallon of hydrm-arbon matter treated.

at which tbc reaction is carried out. and the,

I nature ol the interior surl'acc ot' the reaction Zone. whether smooth or rough. have considcrablc inllucncc on the (la-s ol product obtained.

High pressures producc a high percentage The percentage of recovery of total liquid hydrocarlmn treated is lllji. composed as t'ollows: ll avy hydrocarbon caught in the condenser It and returned 2llfLtz; light hydrocarbon to be relincd 2017;.

licsmmi of p-roccsa.

o'l liquids. and high temperatures produce a high percentage of gases. while too high ()il lccd-(all calculations on basis of 1 velocities, or too smooth and uninterrupted not). 'lcmpcrature (max. tube), (300 C.; flow through the reaction Zone, permit more pr cssurc (lbs), lit); time (n'iinutcs per gal.), or less oil to pass through unaltered. on; k. w. h. (per gab). 2.7; hydrogen feed, The quantity 01 hydrogen required in the if; f lb.:cu. it, 90; recovered oil reaction, is usually from two to four per of original). it); oil msitie.d (/0 of original), cent of the, hydrocarbon matter treated for (St); gas from oil (cu. ft), he 1 il t the most favorable results. the percentage be retreated t of original), 20; light oil added being dependent upon the (.(ZlCi deto be rclimalti ol original), 20. gree of dissociation existing between the hy- Having thus fully described the nature drogen and carbon constituents of the hyof our invention. what we claim as new and drocarbon matter in thc reaction, and the desire to secure by Letters Patent, is amount of fixer, gases as a result of the process. carbons comprising a craclnngnetort of The percentage ol' hydrogen required heavy wallcd metal pipe encased in heat m-, to prevent the deposition of carbon, detcrsulatiou and having sulhcicntly low elecmines the minimum amount that may be trical conductivity to act as a resistormeans the smaller the percentage of hydrogen addused. 'lhedesircdquantity and thermal conl'or passing current. through said pipe to tent oi the fixed gases per cubic toot. and boat the retort to a relatively hic'l' tcnpera their volume, determine thev maximum pc:- turc. said retort being provided with a. feed ceutage of hydrogen that may be used. Too intake and a vapor otl'talec, adjustable means large. a percentage is detrimental to the comfor l'rcdin'g to said intake :1 mixture of a plete condensation of the vapors. as with large gas yields, it becomes dillicult to preconnccted to sa d otitalm. and a rcturn trap vent a certain amount of rc-evaporation of d-crico connecting saidcondenser means the condensed liquids in the condensers and with said intake.

'loronto. June l dh. 1917.

A LEXAN DE ll '1 MOM A E l-STUART. GUY NUVERHE MIDDLETON. j

ed, Within practicable limits, the lower will be the loss by re-evapo 'ation.

L Ll7)ill'illll5 for heat treatment of hydrohvdrocarbon and a us. condenser means 

